Town of Brownville - Services

ATV RegistrationsAll ATV registrations expire on June 30 of each year.$46.00 for renewal$47.00 for first time + sales tax for "new" (to you)

Building PermitsIf you are thinking about remodeling, adding on to your home, or building a garage or outbuilding, then come to the Town Office to pick up a building permit. The fee is $10.00. Permits are required if you are doing anything to your property that will change it's value. This would also include: adding porches or decks, new siding, demolition projects, paving driveways, and other upgrades that will increase value. If you are unsure whether or not a particular project requires a building permit, please call the Town Office.

Conference RoomThe Conference Room in the Town Office is availble for meetings and the viewing of public documents. Please be courteous and ask before entering the conference area, as there may be a meeting in process. Thank you.

Dog RegistrationsSpayed/Neutered $6.00Not Spayed/Neutered $11.00A late fee of $25.00 begins February 1. Bring your current rabies certificate and any spayed/neutered certificates. Dogs need to be licensed by December 31 of each year.

Faxes$3.00 for the first page outgoing$1.00 each additional outgoing page$1.00 each all incoming Faxes

Notary Public ServiceID required$2.00 for Brownville Taxpayers$5.00 for non-taxpayers, plus $1.00 for each additional page

Photocopies8 1/2 X 11 $0.258 1/2 X 14 $0.5011 X 17 $1.00

Snowmobile RegistrationsAll Snowmobile registrations expire on June 30.$46.00 for renewal$47.00 for first time + sales tax for "new" (to you)

Transfer StationThe Transfer Station is run by the Penquis Solid Waste Corporation.

Vital Records

The Town Clerk’s Office is responsible for the permanent storage of all vital records (i.e. birth, marriage and death records). Individuals may request certified copies of a vital record from the Clerk’s Office for a fee of:

• $15.00 for the first copy; and• $6.00 for each additional copy of the same record

On July 12, 2010, a new law preventing fraudulent use of vital records went into effect. Vital records include birth certificates, fetal death and death certificates, marriage certificates, and domestic partner registrations. Maine’s new law will require a person requesting a copy of records less than 100 years old to provide documentation establishing their direct and legitimate interest in the records.

Until now, Maine has been one of just a handful of states that have allowed anyone, including individuals with bad intentions and for profit entities, access to these records. Information from vital records will become completely open to the public 100 years from the date of the event.

Individuals who may access vital records less than 100 years old include:

• The person named on the record;• The person’s spouse or registered domestic partner;• The parent(s) named on the record;• Descendants of the person named on the record;• Registrant’s legal custodian, guardian, or conservator or respective authorized representative (includes attorney, physician, or funeral director); and• Genealogists who have a Maine CDC issued researcher identification card.

Proof of identity must also be presented to the municipal and city clerks or state Vital Records Office staff. A brief application for securing a copy of the vital record must be filled out and presented, along with positive identification such as a driver’s license, passport, or other government issued picture identification that clearly shows that the person requesting the record is who they say they are. Proof of direct lineage is also required when requesting records of a parent or grandparent. Identification and lineage requirements apply whether the records are requested in person or by mail.

• The City or Town in which the child was born;• The City or Town in which the mother was living at the time of the birth; and• The State Office of Health Data and Program Management (formerly known as the Office of Vital Records)

Marriage Certificates are filed with:

• The City or Town in which intentions were filed and the license was issued; and• The State Office of Health Data and Program Management (formerly known as the Office of Vital Records)

Per policy of the Farmingdale Town Office, no marriages can be performed at the Town Office.

Death Certificates are filed with:

• The City or Town of residence at the time of death;• The City or Town where the death occurred; and• The State Office of Health Data and Program Management (formerly known as the Office of Vital Records)

Helpful Hints:

1) Prior to 1892, towns were not required to file records of birth, marriage and death. Some towns have records before 1892, but these may not be a complete recording of events.

2) Unsure where the event took place? Begin by contacting the State. They maintain copies of records from every town in Maine.

3) Be sure to check family bibles, town directories, obituaries, old maps, old photographs, town history books and old newspapers for information.

4) State Archives keeps a list of professional genealogists who provide research for a fee.